August 2008

August 19, 2008

You may have heard this already but the five year lease is up on the mid town mainstay, the 9th Ave. Bistro and the last night to go get drunk and party with your pals is Sunday August 24th. The landlord ballooned the rent up to “market value” insuring that the Bistro would evacuate the premises to make way for… what? Another bank? A high end restaurant?

Of course you see where this is going, the closing leaves the Porno Bingo team (myself, bartender Manny, our once a month visitor Amanda, our graphic designer Muffin Taco and our amazing photographer A.B) without a home on Wednesday nights. So, we’re trying to figure out what’s next.

Have a good time? Well, in situations like this, one can either wring one’s hands, or one can dance.

And we are going to figuratively dance the night away going until even WE’VE had enough! (and let me tell you, after three and a half years, my tolerance for ‘enough’ is quite high)

We have a full slate of musical guests including JC and Sinn of Nekked, Terry Christopher, Baron, Roger Kuhn, Morry Campbell, Dan Manjovi and of course for an event like this, the requisite ‘surprise guests’. Plus we’ll have a raffle for an Original Gay Ken Doll, a Will and Grace full series DVD set and a movie musical DVD set (which includes Flashdance, Footloose, Moulin Rouge, Dreamgirls and Chicago)

You don’t have to take the day off of work on Thursday in order to have a good time Wednesday night … but it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to plan ahead.

August 15, 2008

It appears John McCain has accepted the maximum individual campaign donation from the owner of America's largest gay sex hook-up website.

That's right, gay money for the anti gay candidate. If you are a paid subscriber, please cancel. If you use the free service, try going somewhere else, Adam4Adam, even Craigslist. Or better yet, leave the computer and interact with a fellow human being.

WE need a new Harvey Milk. WE need a new James Baldwin.

We need to stand up for ourselves. We need to let these gay Benedict Arnolds know we won't tolerate the double dealing and duplicitous actions.

- from Towleroad.com

Well, this has certainly been an interesting week.. first Carolyn Hinsey’s departure from the soap world throws fans into a fury and now it’s Manhunt’s turn. Gay men this week cannot catch a break.

Websters from Joe My God to Towleroad to a half dozen other sites are calling for the head of now former Manhunt.net Chairman Jonathan Crutchley who not only donated the maximum amount that a private person can donate ($2300) to John McCain’s Presidential fund, but also spat on the struggle that every member of the GLBT community has gone through by saying publicly that being called a liberal (an article referred to him as a “liberal Republican”) would be an insult.

Definition of a Liberal: “A Liberal seeks a society characterized by freedom of thought for individuals, limitations on power, especially of government and religion, the rule of law, free public education, the free exchange of ideas, a market economy that supports relatively free private enterprise, and a transparent system of government in which the rights of all citizens are protected. In modern society, liberals favor a liberal democracy with open and fair elections, where all citizens have equal rights by law and an equal opportunity to succeed.”

Well, if being a fair person and wanting fair and equal treatment for all people is an insult, well, then color me insulted.

So what was the upshot from all of this? Manhunt members got their heads out of their pants and looked up and smelled something nasty and took it upon themselves to do something about it and lots (and I hear LOTS!!!) of members posting angry notes in their Manhunt profiles and/or simply canceling their memberships altogether. This led to some crusty, terse customer service notes sent to members (that naturally were posted on the Joe My God and Towleroad sites) as the company scrambled to do damage control.

Then Manhunt founder Larry Basile stepped in and, along with the Board, asked for Crutchley’s resignation. Basile was appalled at members’ accusations that he or the company is Republican-run as he was an ACT UPer in his youth and has given to many Democratic groups.

On a personal note, I have known Jonathan for a few years, loosely in a business fashion; he coordinated a $2000 Manhunt.net sponsorship for the final Palm Springs Bad Boys Pool Party in 2005 which was very appreciated by the folks at LA Shanti who we were raising funds for.

At the time, Manhunt was experiencing it’s first major wave of backlash for being perceived as encouraging unsafe sex and rampant drug use. To the company’s (and Crutchley’s) credit they turned that perception around virtually overnight by donating to events such as mine and partnering up with safer sex organizations and offering referrals for people who wanted to beat their crystal addiction. Some companies might have felt it was uncool to be socially responsible in this way but I thought it was great that they took this step.

What’s ironic for Manhunt is that this all came out because of an article where Crutchley was interviewed by OUT, an article which practically blames the ills of gay men’s choices to stay indoors and cruise online on Manhunt alone.

As much as I would love to find something to blame, this one is on us folks.

Manhunt exists to make money on our need to hook up, and we choose to spend hours and hours looking for love in what is definitely the wrong place. However, to accuse Manhunt of preying on gay men’s poor self esteem is like accusing Walgreens of perpetuating someone’s pain pill addiction. They are the store, you are the customer. Grow a pair and make your own decisions.

As someone who produces and hosts events out at the bars, I can tell you that there are plenty of places that still cater to the hook up crowd and when you see someone in person, you won’t be fooled by an out of date picture or stats that bear no resemblance to reality. I mean, you might actually have to, you know, ask the person some questions about their job or sero status or those kinds of things but you can do it. It hasn’t been that long since it was simply something we did and took for granted. But it’s not Manhunt’s fault that people lie to each other. Again, that’s on us.

As with many things like this (such as the Rite Aid thing a few weeks ago) my peeps, we tend to overreact.. but it’s all good and here is why: for too many years we had our heads up our collective asses, sitting passively by and letting others do the work that needed to be done.

As one now ex New Yorker once told me, “nothing ever changed by anger” which I think is a load of crap. True, there’s nothing to be gained by being angry all the time, but a little outrage once in awhile at the right things is not only appropriate but should be encouraged.

Equal rights and fair treatment don’t just happen because we’re entitled to it and you know comb our hair and file our nails. We have to assert ourselves and stand up for what is naturally ours. And we must definitely call on the carpet those in our community who need to hear our voices when they do something that goes against what we’re fighting for. Because if we end up having to fight against our own homo brothers and sisters, what hope do we have?

But you know, take this all how you will, after all, I’m just another Liberal.

Here are a few resources for you to look at to do your own research into this story: (thanks to Towleroad.com for posting such incredible information on this all week long!)

August 06, 2008

Channel 1 exclusive Johnny Hazzard www.hazzardcentral.com is in the latest XXX flick from Channel 1 Releasing and it’s aptly titled HAZZARD ZONE (2008, Rascal Video www.channel1releasing.com ) because the flick takes place within the confines of a sex club that Johnny prowls about in and there’s some steamy stuff going on.

What’s particularly interesting about this flick (if I can get all artsy for a minute) is that the way the models are lit is really unusual – a lot of backlighting from a single intense light on the ceiling, so much so that you can see the hairs standing up on the skin of the guys… and to me that’s hot because it’s like you’re right there and intimate with the guys while they’re having at it. Good job guys! The flick features exclusives Vinnie D’Angelo as well as Brodie Newport, Geoffrey Paine, Jason Longh, Josh West, Aron Ridge and Vin Costes.

August 05, 2008

This week sees the release of Jet Set’s big summer movie HUNG COUNTRY FOR YOUNG MEN and if the title sounds familiar, well, naturally that’s intentional. Having never seen the movie that the title derives from and frankly losing the thread of the story after a sizzling scene with Tyler Saint and Tommy Blade (when my mind went into vertical hold and I blacked out from joy)

I can’t tell you if it hews closely to the story but with sex this good, who really cares? I’m the first one to squawk about wanting plot plot plot but I just couldn’t focus and I don’t think it’s director, writer Chris Steele’s fault, I just am that invested in the hotness that is Tyler Saint and now Tommy Blade both who could read the phone book (preferably my phone book in my apartment) and be interesting. The feature also stars exclusive Dylan Wood as well as Kyle York, Rod Dailey, Trystian Sweet, Rocky Houston and Kevin Cavalli. You can find it at www.jetsetmen.com

In other Jet Set news, Midwestern jock David Dakota just scored a Jet Set contract. Blonde and butch, ripped and sexy, Dakota will first appear as a baseball player in the September release JOCK TEASE.

So I was on the subway the other night. It was late, I was annoyed at the world because it’s been so damned hot in the city this summer but was grateful for an air conditioned car and as it was late on a weeknight, there weren’t many people riding.

However, I chose to stand and that’s when I noticed the man sitting reading a magazine. The cover looked familiar and so I casually walked the length of the car which allowed me to get a closer look to be sure. I was right. It was the issue of HIV Plus Magazine

www.hivplusmag.com/ that featured Porno Bingo. I was shocked and amused at the coincidence and then decided to sit down just a few seats away from him.

Yes, this could be my Sally Field in the mall moment if only he would have looked up! I was frustrated and then thought it was funny that I sat mere feet away from him while he read the interview which features an enormous picture of me taken on a Manhattan rooftop by photographer Muffin Taco.

I guess the moral of the story is: no matter how interesting the material is that you’re reading on the subway (or I guess in Starbucks or wherever) look up once in awhile because you might be missing life passing right by you.